One of the greatest betrayals we can ever commit against ourselves is surrendering our identity—our critical thinking, our ability to reason, and, ultimately, our freedom to choose.
Sadly, too many young people today do not understand this.
Something happened to me this week that, in 31 years in the media, had never happened before. A guest who had agreed to be interviewed by me canceled almost immediately—not because of anything I had said or done, but because of the way I think and my political views.
Those who know me and know my work understand the kind of journalism I practice. I do not dehumanize people. I do not humiliate them. And I certainly do not attack them simply because they think differently from me.
Quite the opposite.
I believe differences are inevitable, and that respecting those differences is the foundation of a free society.
Yet there is an increasingly dangerous ideology teaching young people something entirely different: you are either with me, or you are against me.
My guest is a feminist and a leftist. I am neither, nor will I ever be. But there is something happening in her life that brings our positions together.
She is facing legal consequences for saying that a man wearing a dress is not a woman. She was taken to court and could potentially lose her freedom over expressing that belief.
That is unacceptable. It is disturbing. And as a woman and as a journalist, I believe it is my responsibility to give visibility to situations like this—regardless of whether I agree with the person involved on every other political or ideological issue.
But she could not see beyond the intolerance she had been taught.
The political lobby that has captured her thinking had already decided what I was to her before we ever sat down for an interview.
In less than five minutes, she gave me four different reasons for canceling. And then, at the end, she told me:
“Don’t take it personally.”
I don’t.
She is free to make whatever decision she wants. Of course she is.
But I would be dishonest if I said it did not sadden me—and concern me deeply.
Because what I see emerging among too many young people today is a dangerous combination: fragility, intellectual conformity, an absence of critical thinking, a rejection of personal authority, and an alarming willingness to surrender independent judgment to ideological movements.
We are raising a generation that is increasingly afraid to think differently.
A generation taught that disagreement is violence, that questioning an ideology is hatred, and that anyone who refuses to follow the approved script must be rejected.
That should terrify us.
Because when people stop thinking for themselves, someone else will do the thinking for them.
And history has taught us where that can lead.
Character, identity, independent thought, and intellectual courage are not created by algorithms, political slogans, or ideological echo chambers. They are built through values, discipline, education, responsibility, and—more often than not—a strong family foundation.
A good upbringing shows.
Always.
The future has always been uncertain for those who leave everything to chance. I see it differently.
If you plant apples, you will harvest apples.
You cannot plant weakness and expect strength.
You cannot plant conformity and expect independent thinkers.
You cannot surrender a child’s mind to ideological indoctrination and then be surprised when, as an adult, that person cannot distinguish between what they believe and what they have been told to believe.
If we allow young people to be conditioned into intellectual dependence, then we should not be surprised by what comes next: adults who are emotionally fragile, psychologically vulnerable, easily manipulated, terrified of disagreement, and incapable of making decisions without first asking an ideological movement what they are allowed to think, say, or believe.
That is not freedom.
That is not progress.
And it certainly is not tolerance.
A human being without identity, without values, without the courage to question, analyze, think, and decide for themselves has surrendered something far more valuable than an opinion.
They have surrendered themselves.
And that may be the greatest betrayal a human being can ever commit.
About the author:
Jennifer Barreto-Leyva is a multi-faceted professional and a powerhouse in the Hispanic community.
She is an attorney, journalist, and author. Pro-life activist. Former Fox News correspondent. Is part of the editorial national board of the Republican National Hispanic Assembly. TV and radio host. Former Venezuelan ambassador at the Britts Global organization in the United Nations. Politics analyst. Opinion columnist, President of The Ladies Coalition. Director for LATAM of Latinas 4 life.
Named for Parade Magazine, 8 years in a row, as one of the 50 most influential and powerful Latinas worldwide.